Elemental Hazards
by leavingyouforme
Summary: The Matoran people think they finally found home, even if it is on a planet foreign to them. But Spherus Magna has threats on its own that can rival Teridax Makuta - and they have plans for the Toa, old and new. AU, unfinished WIP, tentative summary.
1. Scene 1

**Author Notes:** If the 'fic' confuses you, fear not. I have several ideas for events and some plot twists, but I am still working on the plot itself and the premise. This scene is therefore still a work in progress like most of this work. It isn't even a whole chapter; it's either in the middle of one, or the ending of one chapter and the beginning of the next. That is why the text will stay at the status 'In-Progress' permanently.

Some details I know: It's an AU of the current events on Spherus Magna. The Toa-destroyer doesn't activate; Lewa has been found and has returned; and most of the hostilities between Glatorians and Agori, Matoran and Toa have been dealt with. I didn't want to build my story into so many unresolved strands, and it's an AU in itself anyway, so I chose to use a fresh start. But that one builds on the events from the time before the migration, which I try to stay faithful to.  
>The shown scene itself plays early in the story's beginning. I'm aware that the quality could be better, so I'm asking for tips. Advice. Opinions. Pointing out mistakes. Whatever you think of the fic's points that drew your attention, both positively and negatively.<p>

P.S.: I can't take credit alone for this story. The section from _'He heard a groan escaping from the form next to him'_ to _'who was peeking over his shoulder'_ is from another person. I **asked them for permission** if I could use it, and they **said yes**. So if you should feel you maybe know this passage - I didn't steal it, but yes, it's likely from said person you are thinking of.

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><p>Vakama's hand shot through the flame ball around him and <em>squeezed<em>.

The fire's roar burnt the cave's ceiling to black as it expanded explosively, before it stuttered in its outpour, shrinking to a flame barely bigger than figure it still engulfed. The two Turaga slid down the walls, gasping as wonderful air rushed into their lungs.

A hiss escaped Vakama as the poisonous fire angrily clawed at his fingers. The excess power rushed out between them, but there was pressure under his palm that he realized he was reflecting with his own fire energy. He activated more of it then pushed it out, sensation more familiar to when he had created fireballs as a Toa than as a Turaga.

The effect was instant – again a stutter, again an angry roar inside his head. The flames around him flared and then died. A black arch appeared next to his little finger; it quickly spread around the contact points, forming a globe with holes where he didn't touch. The sealed parts thumbed under his fingers. A smug smile appeared on his Kanohi at the indignation he sensed through the contact.

"_Get lost."_ He thought, squeezing the power's core tighter. _"You have nothing that I could want or desire." _

The flames hissed and Vakama growled. He hurled more of his energy against the intruder. The black spots expanded as his hand began to shake, growing worse than the sealing proceeded. The shakes escalated to quakes; he could barely hold onto the orb anymore, the armor of his arm rattling. A pulse had him screaming as the power suddenly pushed into him, making up with intensity for the loss of the openings. His energy sapped as the whispers started anew. Just that now they had cast aside their honey-laced tones for acidy threats mixed with temptations.

They seeped into him and the burn intensified: starting with his heartlight to travel from there into the rest of his body. All the while more voices flooded into his mind, squeezing in retaliation for what he did to the core.

They didn't expect more waves of energy clawing into them in return. And as Vakama's eyes returned to their original red color, they saw what had been their mistake. These eyes flashed with places of darkness blacker than any of the Great Fires could hope to light. This being wasn't frail like its form had suggested. His mind was just as powerful as the frame that the Great Being's device drew out of him.

Vakama let out a yell as the power flow increased yet again. Something was different about it, more focused and seeking for every weak spot he had. His heartlight began now to truly burn, pulsing erratically under the onslaught. Smoke was curling around his arm, cracks springing up in the red metal. He felt it was going to break soon if he let it conduit further both his fire energy and the core's power.

His counter attack wasn't working and if he didn't do something, he knew the core's powers would overtake him. He was at his maximum push-out for his energy if he didn't want to perform a Nova Blast (_why that?_, a surprised murmur asked him), and he couldn't do lest it would not only kill Onewa and Matau but also obliterate the area for miles around. Him being under the earth or not, the flames would just burst through the cave's ceiling like an erupting volcano.

He had an idea for a last resort; whether or not it was going to work was another question. What consequences it would cause were another. He didn't dare to follow these thoughts.

Slowly his free arm rose, the motion connected with so much pain Vakama wondered if the limb was dead. He still pushed energy against the core, holding it in check while his hand wandered up his chest. It bumped against ridges and indentions that shouldn't be there and glowed to the touch. He feared another illusion but nothing detracted his hand's way and surely found that certain seam, fingers curling around the crystal.

"_You want me? You want me to give myself into you? To take your 'gift'?"_ He sensed the anticipating curiosity, the greed billowing at his thoughts. This wasn't a gift; this was an assault to destroy and conquer for whatever reasons that thing wouldn't show. The confirmation he was searching for, however, came from the foreign essence throbbing in his heartlight. Vakama felt the irrepressible urge to rip it out, for a moment.

"You can go choke on your gift," he whispered instead as he shot the fireball into his heartlight.

The world contracted into his chest. Energy shot through his body, pushing the alien power out through his arm back to the core as he had planned, burning worse than any fires of the Pit could. It rushed into the core's remaining openings, tearing crack into the black spots' edges as a red-white glow unlike that of the fire began burning from the object. A vortex build around it, sucking in the flames under what seemed someone's raging of denial. The temperature dropped palpable, the last air distortions vanished, and finally Vakama could see passed the core his friends. They were lying limply against the walls, unconscious. Hopefully unharmed. The heat and fire didn't threaten them anymore at least.

The glow inside the core brightened rapidly and Vakama, despite his better judgement, had to look back. He threw his hand over his face to shield his eyes as the light became unbearably. Power collected in the core again, not the malicious entity but another one he recognized now - realized why it felt so familiar. The shock numbed his mind so that he forgot any attempt to let go of the core as the glow burnt even brighter still before a ripple went through it.

No, not a ripple.

An inferno hidden inside a single pulse. Liquid force burst through his arm into his center and from there into his limbs, from head to feet tips, from heartlight zapping into the hand still gripping it. It happened so quick that a yell never had a chance to leave his mouth. His back arched, he went blind under the wonderful, terrifying, brilliant and _too much_ rush of energy. He would burst from it, his body couldn't handle this, too old, not suited anymore, he had given this up he had fulfilled his destiny he was Turaga Vakama Turaga-

The world contracted for a second time, then Vakama was no more.

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><p>The idiot who had slammed Onewa against the wall would wish the Toa killed them once he was done with them.<p>

He blinked, and wished in the same moment he hadn't. There were ropes attached somewhere to his eyes and each time he opened and closed them, the ropes would raise a hammer inside his skull and let it smash down. And his brain was the anvil. With a groan he covered his face with a hand. His arm's movement in turn set off fire and shrapnel in his back.

Slag killing whoever did this, dying sounded good right now. He was too old for this nonsense.

The couple of misery and pain dwindled the same way a sinking feeling settled in his chest. Unconsciously, Onewa groped for his heartlight as it burnt but all that he found was a calm crystal.

Why- where was the pain- what happened-

Vakama. Where was Vakama? Slight panic bubbled up from memory along a phantom ache in his lungs. He coughed, having breathed in dust. The fire… He swallowed before he removed his other hand and lifted his head.

Numerous rocks and boulders had crashed to the floor, stalagmites and stalactites toppled to the side or broken down. Pebbles here and there rained from the ceiling or down the cave walls, and a thick mist of dust drifted in the moss' blue glow. Onewa could count himself lucky he had been missed by any of it. Extremely lucky, as he viewed the big chunk of what he assumed to be former part of the ceiling just three bios away from his feet.

The side and bottom were charred, some big spots glistening among the soot. But the color was wrong as the glowing moss was on the side and this shine orange. He frantically looked around; he ignored his throbbing head, hoping the light source wasn't that weird fire.

What he found instead made him stand up and stumble over the debris, throwing up dust, despite his back pains.

The lantern's light threw eerie shadows across Matau, face turned away from Onewa. It was a wonder the heat-stone still worked but the Stone Tuaraga had more important concerns to worry about. He kneeled next to Matau, pressing his head against his chest, searching for a pulse. The belatedly realization he should check for a pulse at the neck vanished with the steady beat against his cheek. Matau's chest was rising and falling reassuringly, which he hadn't noticed in the flickering light.

He released his breath. Thanks Mata Nui, he was alive – not that he would ever say that to Matau's face. Many things had changed between the former Toa Metru since becoming Turaga. But being sentimental towards the airhead? Not a chance.

His touch was still gentle as he shook the green shoulders. Matau instantly stirred, to his surprise, more dust falling as he sat up with a slight whine as he clutched his head. Some things indeed never changed.

"Mata Nui, my head is going to burst-explode. I want to diiiieee."

"Stop acting that way, it's unbecoming of a Turaga." Onewa snorted with practiced ease. A sly grin stole on his face.

"Besides, your headaches can't be any worse than those after the many times you crashed into something in Metru Nui."

"You are not-kind." The reply was more automatic than with any bite. Onewa sighed, losing all pretenses of teasing.

"Listen, Matau. I feel like dying too, but we need to check on Vakama. The last I remember was that fire exploding and now the ceiling is partly caved in. I really have a bad feeling." He didn't add that Vakama was might buried under one of the boulders.

The green Turaga lifted his head, eyes barely two slits of dim orange. Various horizontal scratches lined his mask which seemed to have lost some its color. He looked as exhausted and sore as Onewa felt.

"I thought it was a hallucination. I had _hoped_ it was one."

The grey mask gave a bitter chuckle. "Believe me, I hoped the same. At least that… 'thing' seems to be gone now, whatever it was." His expression darkened. "I thought we finally have found peace here on Spherus Magna with Maku- _Teridax_ gone and the rest of his followers scattered. But it seems the planet has unknown dangers on its own."

"Maybe it was what Vakama's vision warned him about. You can't get closer to sentient fire – at least when it grows arms and legs." The air Turaga decided a later time was better to ponder these mysteries, after they had found Vakama. He grabbed for a protruding stone in the wall.

"Can-can you help me?" Matau's legs trembled as he pushed himself up and Onewa grabbed onto his elbow. He nearly fell backward on his own, dragging Matau with him before they both stabilized.

"Aren't you supposed to be as solid-stable as rock?"

"I was hit with a shockwave from an explosion that did this," he gestured around the chaos in the cave with one arm. "You and I can be glad that we're not cracked through like that part over us in the ceiling."

"Fair enough." He stiffly bent down to retrieve the bent lantern. He wished he had taken a lightstone instead of a heatstone as the light flickered. Looking through the glass, his dismay heightened as he saw the cause – the heatstone had a crack. Experimentally he lifted it up. The light cone shone two bios wide; farther than that it hardly showed any more details than the rocks' shape. Still, it was better than nothing.

Their pace was slow as they only had each other as a crutch across the unstable debris. Both had lost their staffs in the shockwave and it would take too much time to search them; for all they knew, the staffs were crashed under some boulder. The thought the same fate had befallen Vakama or they would find only a charred body haunted them.

So they maneuvered around several rocks and boulders, lighting up the way ahead for any loose stones hanging somewhere, which attributed to their pace. With each step their strength returned, although the opposite could be said for their hopes. They had to have reached the point by now where Vakama had been last so where was he? The worst case…

Onewa started. Among the various shades of grey and black from the debris, a red spot shone out in the distance of their lantern. Matau upped the space with his fellow Turaga but in his worry he leapt ahead by using his wind power. He knew the ground was treacherous but cared little for that in the moment even if it should make him slip.

Which happened the moment he was about to round the corner.

The solid yet yielding warmth that cushioned his landing surprised him more than his fall. After daring to open his eyes he moved his hands he found ridges and indentions of intricate red armor, heaving and falling accompanied by breathing. He was lying on someone's chest which was almost bigger than Matau's whole body. Confused, he looked up to the face of whomever he had dropped on, freezing at the sight.

Onewa made a chocked sound, followed by the lantern landing on the floor with a clank.

"I think we've found Vakama." Was that power again creating an illusionary form, or was he dreaming? Matau certainly felt as if he was floating, although he sat. Or because of where he sat, disconnected, and distantly watching the heatstone's light flicker over the Great Mask of Invisibility.

* * *

><p>"Would you stop that? Your pacing is driving me crazy."<p>

They were in the corridor through which they had entered before the hall. Carrying Vakama here would have been more arduous and taken longer without Matau's little wind balls, yet the stone Turaga needed a break. Only that he couldn't truly rest while watching Matau; his restlessness was contagious.

"Sorry, I'm upset-confused. If I was just confused I wouldn't mind sitting-resting either." Hands clasped behind his back, the air Turaga made an unusually serious impression while he walked an imaginary line up and down, up and down again and again. He would throw a look at the still form lying against the wall now and then with an unreadable expression on his Noble Kanohi. Otherwise he kept his distance, little gusts of wind at his feet pushing dust aside. This went for another minute to aggravate Onewa enough that he stood up to stop the other.

He heard a groan escaping from the form next to him, and Onewa looked down quickly. He saw the once-still form roll over on his side. His hand clamped on Vakama's shoulder to keep him from agitating possible wounds when he struggled to awaken. "Vakama, keep still." Onewa said sternly, frowning, "How do you feel?"

Red eyes greeted them, not the burning white from minutes ago. Vakama blinked, shaking his head to rid himself of the stupor. His eyes were still cloudy and distant, but otherwise he seemed to be regaining his strength…

"Come on, speak to me, Vakama." The Turaga shook him gently after he stayed silent.

"How should I feel …?" Vakama answered, his voice cracked with fatigue. He moved, eyes searching for Onewa's. The Turaga stiffened when they met before he shook his own head as if to break a spell. He took one long look at the Toa again, avoiding his eyes, and without changing his expression, spoke. "He'll be fine." He said towards Matau, who was peeking over his shoulder.

Matau snorted in disbelief.

"Certainly, healer-Onewa. It happened something we have no idea-knowledge of ever happening before, but our fire-spitter will just be peachy after he went up in a fire ball." The sarcasm didn't quite cover the anxiety in his voice. Onewa just shrugged. Despite the casual gesture, Matau felt the other's tension vibrating through his armor against his chest as the Turaga checked the Toa for injuries.

He wasn't sure if it was maybe that why he imagined he was also shaking.

"So, what we do now?" The places under his armor prickled with pins and he rubbed his upper arm to get rid of the feeling. At least it wasn't that bad as the pain in his heartlight had been.

"Well, the first step is to get out of the caves. We don't know if that thing from before is still around. Neither of us would be able to fight it, if its tossing around of Whenua and Pohatu was anything to go by." Onewa crossed his arms as he leant against the wall. Vakama had fallen asleep again, murmuring unintelligible, but otherwise he seemed fine.


	2. Scene 2

"Mmmhh, I see. How **_cuRIous_**."

The being declined their head to Vakama's level under the screeching of gears. He drew back, his staff but not even the idea of a defense in front of him.

The flat plate revealed no opening through which the entity could see - yet the turaga still sensed a glare upon him, although if from anger or scrutiny, he was unsure. He jerked as the entity's head snapped 90° around on their neck. Somebody made a choked sound from behind the barrier.

"I did not know that Ta-matoran also held the ability to be seers, even as a toa. As far as I knew from the Great Beings, they intended that talent to be exclusive to Ko- and Ga-matoran." Another snap and the plate stood upright again, cocking to the side. The giant didn't seem to be inclined to elaborate, but Vakama had the distinct foreboding it was trap they had laid out. With them before and the barrier behind cornering him, he had walked into one already.

His hands gripped tighter about his staff. At least the others were out of harm's way.

"What do you mean by 'seer'?"

"Do not try to fool me, matoran." The voice was endlessly patient. "Seers have a distinct energy pattern to their brains that I can detect, which is the same as in the Ko-turaga present."

Nuju held himself still, safe a slight tremor in his shoulders, as he kept leveling his glare at the entity.

"Maybe I do experience visions, maybe I do not. What is it of interest to you?" Vakama's voice thinned in agitation.

"It is just a detail I noticed with my ability. I admit, it is making me curious – I am a scientist just like the Great Beings are. Or were, depending on what their current status entails, but we used to work together now and then. But you are correct." Finally the entity straightened up again, not caring about some of the flabbergasted stares directed at it. The fire turaga tried his best not to sag in relief. During the entity's explanation… he couldn't truly describe it, but the whirlwind of atmosphere around them had sharpened, as if growing fangs, growling hungrily at him.

"The reason that I've approached you is of different nature. Rumor has it you used to be the best mask maker in Metru Nui and I believe your skills have not rusted over the time since you were active in a forge."

The waist rotated upon the lower abdomen and the giant fetched the bag that had been resting at the wall. With another groan of metal, they turned towards the turaga, flicking the knot loose with a finger.

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><p>This scene plays before the fight in the cave with the fire entity. Since I'm still early in the planning stage, most scenes are more bulb-flashes that'll help flesh out the plot and the story, but aren't necessarily in chronological order in the 'chapters'.<p>

The 'giant' as I dub the unknown character here has dubious goals at best, even aside of their claimed reason to approach Vakama.


End file.
